


Why Crowley Deserves Nice Things, By Aziraphale

by argentconflagration



Series: Good Omens Meta [2]
Category: Good Omens (TV)
Genre: Aziraphale Loves Crowley (Good Omens), Meta, Nonfiction, Other, yes this meta has an epigraph fight me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-09
Updated: 2020-03-09
Packaged: 2021-02-28 07:35:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22966270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/argentconflagration/pseuds/argentconflagration
Summary: A little bit of meta about how Aziraphale wants good things -- comfort, warmth, pleasure -- for Crowley, not just for himself.
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Series: Good Omens Meta [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1650418
Comments: 5
Kudos: 56





	Why Crowley Deserves Nice Things, By Aziraphale

> _So the LORD God said to the serpent:_
> 
> _“Because you have done this,_  
>  _cursed are you above all livestock_  
>  _and every beast of the field!_  
>  _On your belly will you go,_  
>  _and dust you will eat,_  
>  _all the days of your life._  
>  _And I will put enmity between you and the woman,_  
>  _and between your seed and her seed._  
>  _He will crush your head,_  
>  _and you will strike his heel.”_

Aziraphale is a hedonist. He loves eating food, drinking wine, and having a cozy shop full of the things he loves best. We love him for it, and rightfully so. But one thing I don't see mentioned terribly often is that this love of pleasure isn't just for himself. He very much wants comfort and warmth and pleasure _for Crowley,_ and that desire is crucial to their dynamic.

The first thing he does in the entire show, of course, is giving away his flaming sword – giving comfort (“it’s going to be cold out there”) and protection (“there are vicious animals”) to the people God has just cast out for disobedience and whose sentence he is explicitly tasked with enforcing. Then he puts his wing over Crowley, sheltering Crowley (and not himself) from the rain. 

In Rome, Aziraphale is undaunted by Crowley’s obvious foul mood, and makes small talk and dumb jokes to cheer him up. Crowley says that he’s never eaten an oyster and Aziraphale treats it like an injustice for him to personally redress. And they settle into this dynamic as we get closer to the present day, with Aziraphale inviting Crowley back to the bookshop to share the Châteauneuf-du-Pape that he’s been saving for “special occasions” (i.e. Crowley). He likes hosting Crowley. He likes making a home and inviting Crowley into it. 

And the thing is, there’s no internal conflict or handwringing over these choices. Aziraphale has no uncertainty when it comes to Crowley deserving all the protection and comfort that Aziraphale desires for himself. Like his giving away the flaming sword, indulging Crowley in pleasure is something he doesn’t think twice about, even though it _is_ against the rules and it _does_ get him into trouble. 

I maybe wonder if the reason I’ve never seen meta about this is because it’s too “obvious”? Like, we expect an angel to be a fountain of goodness, especially towards the one they love. But within canon, it’s a glaring exception to how Crowley is treated. God cast him out, and most other demons aren’t fond of him. Other angels see him as the Enemy and most humans would agree (if they knew, anyway). 

It’s worth noting that in the book, and even in the script book, Aziraphale has the line, “If you do Wrong when you’re told to do Right, you deserve to be punished,” while they’re on the wall of Eden. Of course, it’s impossible to say why exactly this line was omitted in the final version, but it’s clear that it’s drastically at odds with Aziraphale’s actions, and underscores the difference between the ideals he feels he's supposed to believe in and his actual moral system. He’s never met this demon before and has no reason to think his Fall was anything less than perfectly just (especially given his value system at this point), but that’s no reason not to be kind. 

Aziraphale _does_ treat Crowley differently because he’s a demon. Aziraphale views Crowley as suspicious (“Well, obviously [you would lie to me]. You’re a demon, that’s what you do.”) and their association as dangerous, but he doesn’t once express the belief that Crowley deserves any sort of punishment or misery. Even in the middle of vehemently rejecting Crowley’s proposition to work together, he’s happy to accept lunch with him, and ask what he’s in the mood for next. 

Aziraphale might be caught up in Heaven’s propaganda, but he wants Crowley to have nice things whenever he can make that happen. While I don’t think Crowley regrets Falling overall, I do think there’s still a part of him that believes that the guilty, including him, deserve to be miserable, and I think he’s traumatized enough by the whole thing that he’s still reenacting divine punishment on his plants. But Aziraphale … Aziraphale wants him to be safe and happy and comforted, regardless of anything he’s ever done.

No wonder Crowley is smitten with him. 

**Author's Note:**

> You can find the tumblr post [here](https://argentconflagration.tumblr.com/post/190866014682/aziraphale-isnt-just-a-hedonist-for-himself-he)! I'd love to hear your thoughts!


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